Work, sort of

Hear it the way I’m saying it. Which is drawn out and cracking in the middle: behhhhhhhh-tter?

It depends on what we’re comparing it to. If we’re comparing it to, say, Ooh La La, sure, it’s better.

If we’re comparing it to Hit Me Baby One More Time, celebrating its 15th anniversary this week, no, no, it’s still not the same.

There’s some dancing, sure. But it’s mostly a lot of glorified posing and body rubbing, kinda like what Mariah Carey does in her videos, except Mimi has never pretended to be about choreography, where this video promises it and then under-delivers. It’s also poorly directed and edited.

Right off the top, you see that shot of Britney in group formation in the desert there? At the 0:05 mark? She’s wobbling. Or fidgeting. Or something. Whatever it is it looks messy. This is not the shot you want to introduce the video. And that’s an editor or director’s decision.

As for her moves?

Look, I know you want to cheer Britney – me too. But at one point, she and the dancers are sitting down, doing the bicycle with their legs. Come ON. We can do better than bicycle abs without the abs.

Work Bitch is a great track with an irresistible beat. The more you hear it, the better it gets. Try running to it if you haven’t already. You will keep going. And when the tempo picks up? That’s when you giv’er. And that’s what you expect in the choreography. Especially in group formation. That’s where it has the potential to be SICK. Like arms and legs flying all over the place, hair whipping in the wind, but in control. Think of what Beyonce could have done there. To me, what we get here is a disservice to such a dope beat.

When the beat slows down for the bridge – “hold your head high, fingers to the sky” – it’s a perfect opportunity to roll out a Britney slow walk, also in formation, towards the camera. Some hair rubbing, some open-mouthing, the head cocked to the side, the eyes making sex to the audience…she KNOWS how to do this. Or, she KNEW how to do it. Instead? It’s a wasted section of the video. They spend part of it on some random walking on the sand holding a mannequin. Makes NO sense to me at all.